QT setup and meds question.

[Devaji108]

will be starting to stock my 75 around xmass
I have a 40br that going to be my QT have PH, 200W heater aqua clear 50 HOB and a small DIy LED light that I made for my sump refugium.

also have a 20H that I can use as a hospital tank just in case there is a need however I do not have any filtration for it was thinking of DIY a sponge filter...

anyway my question are:
question #1
b/c I will be Qting for the next 3-4 months kinda wanted my QT to look some what nice as it next to my DT ( after QTit os going to be a "didplay macro garden/fuge".) was thinking about adding some flux coral to add a bit of color (for me) and diversity for the fish. will be QTing 3 fish at a time. B/c there is no LFS with in a 4hr drive one way so ill be ordering online.
that said will the flux coral have any affect on med treatment? like copper?
wow that was a long question...

question #2:
does this process for QT sound right.
first week. fish recover from flight, get eating observe.
second week. start treatment. even if I don't see anything. treat for ich with copper.
last two weeks maybe more.
forth week recover form treatment. add to DT. if all looks good.

question #3
copper VS hypno
this is a thread in of it self and ill do my reding on it. maybe the cliff note version here.

thanks

 

[b0bab0ey]

question #1
b/c I will be Qting for the next 3-4 months kinda wanted my QT to look some what nice as it next to my DT ( after QTit os going to be a "didplay macro garden/fuge".) was thinking about adding some flux coral to add a bit of color (for me) and diversity for the fish. will be QTing 3 fish at a time. B/c there is no LFS with in a 4hr drive one way so ill be ordering online.
that said will the flux coral have any affect on med treatment? like copper?
wow that was a long question...

What is flux coral? If it's that fake/plastic coral skeleton looking stuff then it shouldn't be a problem. Just buy a copper test kit to make sure it's not absorbing it. Add more copper as needed, ensuring the level always stays between .35 - .5.

question #2:
does this process for QT sound right.
first week. fish recover from flight, get eating observe.
second week. start treatment. even if I don't see anything. treat for ich with copper.
last two weeks maybe more.
forth week recover form treatment. add to DT. if all looks good.

I would recommend this approach instead:

Week 1: Fish recover from flight, start eating and just observe.
Week 2-3: First treat w/Prazipro a safe de-wormer. Do two consecutive doses, 5 days apart.
Week 4-7: Treat w/copper at therapeutic levels (.35) for one full month. Keep an eye out for any secondary bacterial infections and treat with antibiotics (if needed).
Week 8-9: Do WCs/run carbon to take all the meds out of the water. Let the fish chill from all that. Add to the DT after W9 only if he looks perfect and is eating great!

Obviously, you may need to change this regimen as the need arises. For example, if he starts rubbing or has Ich shortly after you get him then forget about the Prazi (for now) and start treating with copper ASAP. Likewise, if he shows symptoms of Flukes then more than 2x doses of Prazi may be needed. But don't QT for less than 8-9 weeks, no matter what.

question #3
copper VS hypno
this is a thread in of it self and ill do my reding on it. maybe the cliff note version here.

Personally, I like copper although I know some folks prefer hypo. Both approaches work fine. The thing with hypo is you have to keep your SG exactly at 1.009 AT ALL TIMES for it to be successful. This means using an ATO and ensuring your Refractometer is perfectly calibrated. A hydrometer is too inaccurate for hypo. Cupramine is a good, safe copper med that most fish can tolerate for 1 month. Obviously, if you plan on QT'ing copper sensitive species (angels, puffers, lions) you may want to consider hypo and/or not doing copper at all. Just observe closely to see if they show symptoms indicating they really need it.

 

[Devaji108]

wow QTing for 9 weeks. I guess that will cover all bases.
I must admit here that I am some what concerned with QTing fish. as my only experience with it was a few yeas back I was stocking my 240 (no longer have it had to sale b/c of move) and got a kole tang from hawaii from our group club buy. had it in a 55 QT and never made it. however I think this till will be different.

 

[b0bab0ey]

wow QTing for 9 weeks. I guess that will cover all bases.
I must admit here that I am some what concerned with QTing fish. as my only experience with it was a few yeas back I was stocking my 240 (no longer have it had to sale b/c of move) and got a kole tang from hawaii from our group club buy. had it in a 55 QT and never made it. however I think this till will be different.

Once your 75 is cycled, take the sponge/foam insert from that AC50 and throw it in the 75 for 3-4 weeks. Either in the sump or behind the rocks. You want some of the bacteria from your LR to transfer onto that sponge so you'll have biological filtration in the QT. The #1 thing you have to watch out for in QT in ammonia, so always have fresh s/w on hand to do WCs. Also, a water conditioner (such as Prime or Amquel) is good to have on hand in a pinch as it will instantly reduce ammonia; Just don't use a water conditioner w/Cupramine as it turns the copper toxic. Buying one of these will help keep track of your ammonia:

 

[Devaji108]

oh now that is a great idea.

 

[b0bab0ey]

oh now that is a great idea.

Seeding the sponge/foam insert in the DT I can't take credit for. Thank MrTuskfish for that idea.